The Peace of Death
by SymphonySamurai
Summary: Post-DH. Due to a mistake by the Ministry Harry is arrested and sentenced to death. With the help of some unexpected allies, he escapes Azkaban, only to find that the peace he craves is farther away than he thought.


**The Peace of Death**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and characters are the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling. I claim no ownership of anything belonging to her that appears in this story.**

* * *

On the island fortress of Azkaban in the middle of the North Sea, the footsteps of two men could be heard echoing down the cold stone hallway as they approached the only occupied cell. Neither one spoke a word as they walked, both too caught up in the horrors they had witnessed on this island to be in any mood for conversation. Their footsteps led them to a small cell whose sole occupant could have been mistaken for dead if it weren't for the rise and fall of his chest and the slight tic in his left foot.

"Ya got yerself a visitor, Mr. Potter," the guard drawled. "Best be makin' nice wit' the man, else ya find yerself in a world'a Barney, eh mate? Wouldn't want that, now would we?" The guard's grin fell into a sneer as Harry Potter gave no indication of having heard his taunt. With a rattle and a clang the heavy iron door slid open long enough for the well-dressed visitor to step inside before it was slammed shut and locked behind him. "Ya got thir'y minutes, guv'nor, an' not a tick past. Seems Mr. Potter 'ere is in need of a subtle reminder of just who's boss on this island, an' I intend to see 'im receive it." With a final glare in Harry's direction, the guard turned and ambled back the way they had came, leaving the two men alone.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," came the silky voice of Lucius Malfoy. "Although that looks to be changing for you in a half-hour's time." The elder Malfoy barely suppressed a shudder as he was assaulted by the memory of his brief incarceration here, and made a note to thank whichever brilliant soul whose idea it was to banish the Dementors to Antarctica following their betrayal during the war. His eyes quickly scanned the mossy stone walls before landing on the man still laying on the cot, a thoroughly bored expression on his face. "Come now, Mr. Potter, surely a few months in Azkaban hasn't robbed you of your basic manners, has it? Why, if I weren't mistaken, I would be of the impression that you were less than pleased to see me!" Harry's only answer was a slow blink of his eyes. With a slight smirk, the blonde man pressed on. "Oh that simply won't do, Mr. Potter. Why, would would dear old Dumbledore say if he saw his precious protege behaving so rudely?"

Harry sighed. "Was there something you wanted, Mr. Malfoy?"

Malfoy's smirk grew even wider. "Very good, Mr. Potter. I see you've finally learned to control that famous temper of yours. Not that it does you much good in this place, but still, better late than never." He stepped over to the cot across from Harry and made a show of brushing it off before sitting as close to the edge as good posture would allow. "As to your question, Mr. Potter. Yes, there is indeed something I want, something that you alone can give me." He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his fingers laced together. "You see, Mr. Potter, I'm here for revenge."

Harry turned his head and raised his eyebrow at Lucius for a few seconds before scoffing and returning his gaze to the ceiling. "You're a tad late for that, Mr. Malfoy. It seems to me that if you had wanted to avenge your precious Dark Lord, you should've done it in the three weeks of freedom I enjoyed following the battle instead of the six months of imprisonment that followed. As I am a prisoner of the Ministry of Magic awaiting trial for crimes that I was never actually accused of, I would say that your window of opportunity has shut. Although," Harry turned to regard the other man with a suspicious glare, "you wouldn't have had anything to do with my lack of a trial, by any chance?"

Lucius gave a brief, humorless chuckle. "Actually, Mr. Potter, that dubious honor belongs to Minister Shacklebolt himself. You see, in the days following the defeat of the Dark Lord, the personal journals of Albus Dumbledore somehow found their way into the hands of the Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries. It was there that they learned of the existence of the Dark Lord's soul anchors, including Dumbledore's theory regarding your scar. When they reported their findings to the Minister, he immediately ordered that every one of those objects were to be thrown through the Veil to prevent the Dark Lord's return. It was on his orders that you were abducted and held here until the matter of your estate could be settled in secret with Gringotts, at which time you, too, would be forced through the Veil. It was only through the fierce campaigning of your friends that you have lasted this long, but it seems that it was all for naught, as your execution is scheduled for noon tomorrow."

Harry lay motionless for a few minutes before he sat up and turned to fix the head of the Malfoy Family with a withering glare. "So why tell me all this? Are you just here to see the pitiful look on my face when I hear I'm being murdered by the Ministry? Are you hoping that I'll beg you to save me just so you can have the satisfaction of laughing in my face? Is that it, Lucius? Is that your fucking revenge for killing your cunt of a master?"

Lucius sat back and regarded him with a slightly amused expression. "I'm afraid you misunderstood me, Mr. Potter. You see, yours is not the only life that our illustrious Minister has deemed fit to destroy. Two weeks ago, Minister Shacklebolt passed a law that makes bearing the Dark Mark a crime punishable by the seizure of one's entire estate followed by a quick trip through the Veil of Death. He called it the permanent end to the fear of the Dark Lord, when all it really is is a way of refilling the Ministry's war-depleted coffers while at the same time kowtowing to the so-called "progressives" who are now the vocal majority in the Wizengamot. Fortunately I was able to smuggle Draco and Pansy out of the country before they could institute the mandatory arm checks at all international departure points." He paused for a moment before lowering his gaze to the floor. "However, Narcissa's treatment at the hands of the Dark Lord had left her in quite a fragile state. So when she heard that her husband and son were to be executed and that she would be left without a knut to her name, she barricaded herself in her changing room and used a cutting curse on her wrists. The wards alerted me immediately, but by the time Draco and I could gain entry…" Harry couldn't help but wince with sympathy as Lucius shook his head to blink away the tears forming in his eyes. "After your incarceration the Ministry declared her sister Andromeda to be the new head of the Black Family, and she was kind enough to allow me to bury Narcissa in the family tomb. I thought it was the least I could do to atone for my mistakes, but a conversation with Andromeda convinced me otherwise." He paused and looked up into Harry's eyes with a look of steely determination. "Which brings me to you."

Harry watched with mild trepidation as Lucius stood and withdrew a vial from the inside pocket of his robes. Their eyes remained locked together as he popped the cork and downed it in one gulp before clenching his jaw in obvious pain. Harry looked on in alarm as Lucius Malfoy morphed into an exact replica of himself before pulling an identical pair of glasses from another pocket of his robes. After quickly peeking down the hallway to make sure that the guard wasn't returning yet, the new Harry Potter produced another vial of Polyjuice Potion and held it out in front of him.

"Once you are clear of the island's anti-apparition wards, get to the Black ancestral mansion as quickly as you can. I'm told you're already familiar with its location." Dumbstruck, Harry could only nod. "I understand that several of your friends are there working on a plan to break you out of Azkaban and smuggle you out of Britain once you've regained your strength. From there you should be able to find a nice little corner of the world and disappear. Meanwhile I've arranged it with one of your guards that you are not to leave this island alive." Lucius looked up in alarm as a door clanged shut at the far end of the corridor. "Drink this, quickly! We need to switch robes or this will never work!" Harry snapped out of his stupor and immediately downed the bitter concoction before stripping out of his shabby grey robes. When he had changed, Lucius gave him a quick once over to make sure nothing was missed. "Very good," he said with a nod before laying down on the shabby cot. His head had barely hit the pillow before two guards appeared outside the cell door.

"Time's up there, Mr. Malfoy sir," the returning guard said while shooting an eager glance toward the fake Harry. "Auror McCready 'ere'll escort ya back to the mainland, quick as quick. Meanwhile Mr. Potter an' I'll be 'avin' ourselves a little chat about 'is attitude problem, won't we lad?" As Harry was politely led away from his former cell, he glanced back over his shoulder to see his own face staring back at him and giving him one last nod of farewell.

"Poor bastard," McCready mumbled. Harry shot him a questioning look, knowing that to speak would give away the ruse. Noticing that he had been heard, McCready cocked his head back toward Harry's former cell. "The Potter kid. Defeats You-Know-Who, gets thrown in here for no reason I can see, then sentenced to the Veil tomorrow." He suddenly threw a furtive glance up and down the hall before continuing in a whisper. "I overheard Michaels back there muttering about 'Potter not giving him the respect he deserves.' Seems he's had a problem with the kid ever since he got here." Harry nodded; the truth was that auror Michaels had been an absolute prick to him from day one, hurling threats and insults at him at every opportunity. "Now, you didn't hear this from me, but I wouldn't be surprised if Harry Potter is reportedly killed trying to escape auror custody sometime before tomorrow. It wouldn't be the first time that Michaels has taken things into his own hands, if you get my meaning."

Harry was a ball of nerves as he was led outside and down the rocky shoreline to the boat waiting to ferry him across to the mainland, whether from fear of being discovered or horror at the fate of Lucius Malfoy, the fate that was almost his own, he couldn't tell. The entire trip across the frigid North Sea he kept looking over his shoulder at the ominous island, expecting any minute for some kind of alarm to sound, but none came.

When they reached the mainland, Harry was just about to apparate to Grimmauld Place when he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He turned and froze when he saw auror McCready standing there pointing a wand directly at his chest. It took him a few seconds to notice that the auror wore a friendly smile rather than a threatening scowl, and that the wand was in fact being presented to him handle first.

"Here you are, Mr. Malfoy," McCready said. "And a pleasant evening to you, sir." Harry took the offered wand with an imperious nod but was careful to remain silent. The auror nodded once and immediately stepped back aboard the boat to return to the island prison, leaving Harry standing there wearing the robes, wand, and face of a dead man. Heaving a sigh to calm his frayed nerves, he took a few moments to center himself before apparating away with a small crack.

-oOoOo-

After a tense half-hour waiting for the Polyjuice to wear off, Harry carefully slipped up the steps and through the front door of #12 Grimmauld Place. Sneaking past the sleeping portrait of Walburga Black, he made his way through the house towards the voices he could hear coming from the kitchen. When he opened the door he breathed a sigh of relief as several familiar faces looked back at him in shock. Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom were on one side of the huge wooden table with Lavender Brown and Andromeda Tonks seated across from them. For several seconds nobody moved, until the silence was broken by Ginny.

"Harry," she whispered as she slowly rose on trembling knees. "Oh, Merlin, Harry!" She launched herself across the room and into Harry's arms where she burst into tears on his shoulder. They were quickly joined by the rest of the room's occupants, each one welcoming him back and letting him know how much he had been missed. Eventually Ginny calmed herself enough to release the death grip she had him in and lead him by the hand to an empty seat at the table.

"How is this possible Harry?" Ginny asked. "We tried for ages to get you released, or at least get you a trial, but the Ministry wouldn't budge. What convinced them to release you?"

"Nothing did, Gin," Harry said. Ginny frowned in confusion as Harry turned to Andromeda. "Lucius Malfoy visited me tonight."

Mrs. Tonks' eyes widened in shock as she sat back heavily in her chair. "I don't believe it," she gasped. "The bloody bastard actually did it. I never thought… not in a million years…" She shook her head slightly in bewilderment. "How did he get you out?"

Harry frowned. "He used Polyjuice potion to switch places with me, then arranged for one of the guards for me to have an 'incident' sometime tonight." The silence in the room was almost suffocating as everyone began to grasp the enormity of that statement. "He told me that he had talked to you, and that you had somehow convinced him to help me. What did you say to him, Andi?" His words held no accusation, just curiosity.

Andi's eyes hardened slightly. "I told him that helping you was the least he could do for you saving Draco's life. I told him that it was high time that he live up to the Malfoy name that his ancestors spent so much time and trouble building up, rather than hiding behind it like a coward. I figured he'd simply throw some gold around and buy your freedom that way, but apparently he finally took his family honor seriously." She chuckled slightly. "Guess he wasn't so much of a coward after all."

Harry nodded thoughtfully before turning to the others sitting around the table listening. "So, what else have I missed? Where are Hermione and Ron?" He looked around the kitchen as if he expected them to be hiding somewhere, missing the brief look of pain that flickered across Ginny's face.

"Ron is in the middle of auror training," she said. "He tried along with the rest of us to get the MInistry to release you, but gave up when all of our legal options were used up. We all decided without him that we would try to break you out of Azkaban, which is what we were working on when you showed up. We didn't want Ron to have to sacrifice his integrity and his career on a plan that had a very high chance of failing, so we didn't tell him. You know he would've been here otherwise." Harry nodded, silently agreeing with their decision not to include Ron in their planning. Their friendship had bounced back just as strong as it was before the Hunt, and Harry was glad to hear that Ron was making something of himself. "Luna has been using her father's contacts at the Ministry to try and find any information on you that we could, and Neville and Lavender have been working the press, calling for your release in the _Prophet _pretty much every week."

Harry gave each of his three friends a warm smile. "Thank you, all of you. It's nice to know that I wasn't forgotten about in there."

Neville smiled and nodded at him. "Not a chance there, mate," he said. "After everything you've done for us over the years, it was the least we could do. It helped that the Ministry was trying to keep the whole thing quiet, which raised a lot of alarms with the wizarding public. Even after all this time we've still not been able to get them to announce what you were charged with."

"Nothing," Harry said. "Malfoy told me that the Unspeakables got hold of Dumbledore's journals and found out about Voldemort's horcruxes. Minister Shacklebolt wasn't taking any chances and ordered them all thrown through the Veil of Death, including this one." He tapped his forehead where the faded outline of his famous scar could still be seen. Neville winced and nodded sympathetically and the women all wore looks of shock and horror.

"That's why I was named the head of House Black," Andromeda said. "It all makes sense now."

Harry nodded. "I don't blame him for worrying about that bastard coming back, but I bloody wish he would've asked me about it instead of just jumping to conclusions like he did."

Ginny grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Well the important thing is you're here, safe and sound. The good thing is that as far as the Ministry knows, you died in Azkaban, so we shouldn't have any trouble sneaking you out of the country in a day or two."

"As much as I'd love to Gin, I'm afraid it's not that simple," Harry said. "Once I'm declared dead, there's no way I'll be able to go to Gringotts and access my vault, and it'll be expensive getting me out of Britain."

"Don't worry about that, Harry," Andi said. "The Black family has more than enough money to afford anything you'll need. In fact, I know of a nice piece of property in Australia that's been in the Black family for generations. It'll make a perfect place for us to get you safely away and for you to get to know your godson." At his questioning look, she smiled gently. "I had planned on the three of us going away together, as a family. It's too dangerous for you to stay here, and after losing Dora and Ted, Britain is just too painful for me anymore."

Harry fought back tears as he thought about little Teddy losing his parents so young, and how close he came to losing his godfather as well. The mention of Australia brought to mind another person that Harry was desperate to see, so he turned to Ginny. "Where's Hermione? I'm sure she'd love to come to Australia with us so she can bring her parents back." This time Harry saw the look that came over Ginny's face, and he was so focused on the answer to his next question that he missed everyone else quietly leaving the room. "Ginny, what aren't you telling me?"

Ginny took several deep breaths trying to bring her emotions under control. Harry scooted closer and took both of her hands in his own, squeezing them gently in support. Her lip trembled as she stared at their hands. "Harry, a couple months after you were arrested, Hermione was dropped off anonymously at St. Mungo's. The doctors said she had a severe reaction to some kind of potion she was given, but they couldn't tell what it was. For a while it looked like she would be alright, but then, a few days later…" Ginny looked up into Harry's eyes with tears running freely down her face. "She died, Harry."

Harry's world dropped out from under him as Ginny's words slammed into him like a bludger. Hermione Granger, his best friend and the one person he loved above all others, was dead.

Dead.

Harry numbly pulled the red-headed girl onto his lap as she began sobbing uncontrollably. He held onto her like a lifeline as she clung to him and wailed in agony, and before he knew it he found himself weeping into her hair. An eternity passed as they continued to hold each other and grieve, but eventually they were able to calm down enough to loosen the hold they held on each other. Ginny remained seated on his lap with her arms around his neck.

"I don't understand, Gin," Harry said. "Who would poison Hermione?"

"I don't know," she mumbled. "They never found out who did it, and Ron said that without any leads the Ministry had to shelve the investigation. I've never seen him as upset as he was when he got there and they told him that she'd passed. He took a month off from his auror training, and he's not been the same since."

Harry frowned in confusion. "Why did it take so long for him to get there? He should've been the first person they called, but it sounds like you were there a long time before he was."

Ginny looked down and said in a small voice, "that's because I was listed as her next of kin."

Harry's frown deepened. "I don't understand."

Ginny pulled back so that they were face to face. "When you were arrested, we all threw everything we had into trying to get you free, but Hermione took it to a whole new level. It was like nothing else existed for her. She practically moved into the library here looking over law books for anything that might help you. It got to where she would only leave to go to the loo, and if we didn't bring her food, she wouldn't eat. She'd go days without sleeping until she finally passed out from exhaustion, only to sleep a few hours and wake up and start again. It was a nightmare.

Needless to say, this did a number on her relationship with my brother, and it didn't take long before she stopped speaking to him after he opened his mouth about it one too many times. The final straw came when he came right out and said something like, 'you're spending so much time worrying about Harry that you're forgetting all about me! It's almost like you love him more than me!' Well, you can guess how she took that."

Harry winced and hissed through his teeth. "How bad was it?"

Ginny shrugged. "We were able to separate them before they could kill each other, but Ron was walking funny for about a week afterward. Needless to say, things were over between them from that point on." Harry nodded sadly. "Anyway, I finally managed to get Hermione to take a break later that night and we sat and talked about things. It turns out that you getting arrested shocked her into realizing that she actually was in love with you, and that although she had feelings for Ron, they could never be as strong as the ones she had for you." Harry's eyebrows rose to his hairline. "I managed to convince her that what she'd been doing was unhealthy, and that taking a break now and then would keep her mind sharp and allow her to be more productive. So, from then on we started having girl time every night, where we'd basically sit around and drink wine and talk about how wonderful you were and how we couldn't wait for you to come home to us. We never talked about what would happen with both of us being in love with you, though. I just thought we'd cross that bridge when we got to it."

She looked away from Harry and smiled softly. "As it turns out, I shouldn't have been worried. As the weeks went by, we spent so much time missing you that we never noticed how close we were becoming to each other. Then, one night, after a few too many glasses of wine…"

Harry nodded in understanding. "You became lovers."

Ginny nodded slightly. "We did. We figured that if we couldn't be with the man we loved, being with someone else who loved him was the next best thing, right?" She chuckled. "It sounds silly, but it really did help with the pain. We had decided that when you came home we would all go away and just be together, the three of us. We had started making plans to do just that when she was poisoned." She closed her eyes and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Harry gently wiped it away with the pad of his thumb, causing her to smile softly and lean into his touch.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me, Gin," he whispered. "I would've loved to spend the rest of my life with the two of you, doing my best to make you both happy." He paused and dropped his gaze to his lap. "I don't know if you still feel the same without her, but if you'd like, I'm sure there's room for you to come with me to Australia, even if it's just for a little while. I know your mum will probably go spare and forbid you from going, but maybe we can conv…" Whatever else Harry was about to say was abruptly cut off as Ginny's lips met his in a searing kiss. After a few blissful seconds of snogging, Ginny broke off and moved back until barely an inch separated them.

"Harry," she said, still keeping her eyes closed. "I'm coming to Australia with you, no matter what my mum says. But before we make any more plans, can you do just one thing for me?"

"Anything, Gin," he replied, caressing her face with his thumb. She opened her eyes and looked directly into his.

"Make love to me tonight."

-oOoOo-

It took two days before they were ready to leave Britain's shores forever. True to Harry's prediction, the _Daily Prophet_ ran a front-page story the next day about him being killed in Azkaban. Andromeda was surprised to receive a summons to Gringotts as she had been named a beneficiary in his will. She returned several hours later and informed them that since several of the other listed beneficiaries were no longer living, the goblins had deferred to her as the head of Harry's other family as to what to do with the extra bequeathments. She decided to split them evenly among the other beneficiaries, with her share being added to the trust fund that Harry had set up for Teddy. Harry simply smiled and nodded his approval before returning to work packing the Black mansion for the move to Australia. Luna had left with her father on an expedition to find one of her exotic animals, and Harry was surprised to learn that Andromeda had gifted #12 Grimmauld Place to Neville and Lavender as a wedding present. Harry congratulated them both before privately asking Andi to set up a hefty bank vault as a wedding present from him. Meanwhile, Ginny had spent those two days helping Harry clear out the mansion during the day and holding him when he broke down at night. Although the pain of losing Hermione was more fresh for him than for her, they could tell that the nights they spent together had gone a long way toward healing their wounds.

It was early evening when the group of Australia-bound people finally finished their preparations. They decided that Andi would go ahead and leave with Teddy while Ginny packed her things at the Burrow. Harry told her that he had something important to take care of and that he would meet her there when he was finished. She nodded in understanding and kissed him gently before apparating away to her childhood home, leaving Harry to take one last look around before apparating away himself.

A soft pop signaled his arrival at the rod iron gates that led to the grounds of Hogwarts. He walked the well-worn trail up towards the castle before veering off to the left in the direction of the lake. It was only a few minutes before he stopped in front of the large granite tomb that marked the final resting place of Albus Dumbledore.

"Hello, Headmaster," Harry said. "I hope this last year has been much more restful for you than it has been for me. I'm sure by now you're aware that the Ministry found your journals and because of that, I have to leave." He smiled sadly. "Don't worry, sir. I don't hold you responsible. Truth be told, I'm glad to be leaving Britain. You'd think defeating the most terrible Dark Lord in history would've been the end of my worries, eh? Maybe once I'm gone I'll finally be able to have some peace for once in my life. I just wanted you to come by and say goodbye, and to thank you for everything you've done for me over the years. It's something I've always meant to do but just couldn't find the time until now." A far away look came over his eyes for a moment before he shook his head to clear it. "Anyway, I best be off. Enjoy your next great adventure, wherever it may lead you." Harry started to turn away but stopped as he was struck with an afterthought. "Oh, and if you see Lucius Malfoy, tell him we're even." Harry smiled and began walking away, only to be stopped by a voice from the shadow of Dumbledore's tomb.

"I knew I'd find you here." Recognizing the voice, Harry turned around to find himself face to face with Ron Weasley, wearing Auror robes and with his wand aimed at Harry's chest. The two friends stared at each other for several tense seconds.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said tentatively. "It's good to see you, mate. How'd you know I'd be here, anyway?"

Ron smiled slightly. "When my sister comes home after being away for two days looking happier than I've ever seen her, then starts packing everything she owns and refusing to answer my mother's questions… well, it didn't take Auror training to realize that it must have something to do with you." Ron lowered his wand and took several steps forward to wrap Harry in a bear hug. "It's bloody good to see you too, Harry. When I saw the paper this morning I thought I'd never see you again! How'd you get out, anyway?"

"Lucius Malfoy figured he owed me one for saving darling Draco during the war," Harry replied, returning the hug. "So he popped in with a couple vials of Polyjuice and let me go while he stayed behind. I've been at Grimmauld Place for the last two days."

Ron nodded, a surprised look on his face. "So old Lucy finally did something right in his miserable life. Whaddya know?" The two friends chuckled briefly before falling into an uncomfortable silence. "So, you're really leaving, then?" Ron finally said. Harry nodded. "Where will you go?"

"Are you sure you want to know, mate?" Harry asked. "After all, you're an Auror and I'm a wanted man, or at least I would be if the Ministry knew I was alive."

Ron shrugged. "But you're not, so there's no way I could've possibly seen you tonight, is there? So, where are you off to?"

Harry snorted. "Fair enough. As it happens, the Blacks have a nice little getaway on the beach in Australia. I'm leaving tonight with Andi and Teddy." He paused, suddenly looking nervous. "Ginny's coming with me."

To Harry's surprise, Ron just smiled. "Yeah, I figured that much as well, what with the packing and everything. She took it really hard when you were arrested, and then when Hermione…" Ron's smile dropped and he had to clear the sudden lump from his throat. "Well, I'm sure she told you about that." Harry nodded sadly. "Well like I said, she was happier tonight than she has been in a long time, and if being with you's what does it, then who am I to argue? Although, I suppose it goes without saying that if you hurt her I'll hunt you down and use your bollocks for bludgers, you got me?" Harry chuckled and nodded before pulling Ron into another brotherly hug.

"I'm gonna miss you, Ron," he said. "Do me a favor and take care of yourself and your mum, eh?"

"I will Harry," Ron said as they parted. "Dad and George, too. Percy's on his own." The two men shared a laugh before Harry turned and began walking back towards the Hogwarts gates. He'd only taken a few steps before Ron's voice stopped him again.

"One more thing before you go, Harry?" Harry smiled and turned around, but the smile dropped from his face when he saw Ron once again pointing his wand at the center of his chest. "Hand over the Elder Wand, and you're free to go."

Harry blinked a couple times to make sure he really was seeing his best friend holding him at wand point. "Are you mad?" He yelled. "It's over there in Dumbledore's tomb where it belongs! If you really want it that badly you can bloody well get it yourself!"

Ron shook his head. "No, Harry, it's not in Dumbledore's tomb. I know because I checked a couple weeks after you put it there. No, the wand in that tomb is a fake and you know it. I figured you'd squirreled it away somewhere, just in case anyone found out about it and came looking for it. I would've been fine just leaving it be if Hermione hadn't… hadn't died. Now though, now I need it. I need it so I can bring her back and we can be together again, like it was supposed to be."

Harry frowned as he suddenly noticed the touch of madness in his friend's eyes. "I'm sorry Ron," he said slowly. "Even if I had it, it's the stone that can bring people back from the dead, not the wand, and I dropped that in the forest on my way to meet Voldemort that night. Even if you had it, though, it wouldn't matter, because it doesn't really bring people back from the dead! They're just shadows of who they once were, Ron, nothing more. You'd never be able to have the life with her that you wanted, and it would drive you insane, just like it did with Cadmus Peverell!" Harry flinched back as a blasting curse blew a hole in the dirt a mere foot from where he was standing.

"Liar!" Ron spat. "I know you hid it in Grimmauld Place, but I could never find it. And with you leaving there's no way you would've left it behind. Dammit Harry, don't you understand? I can bring her back! I'll succeed where others have failed because Hermione and I were meant to be!" He tightened the grip on his wand. "I didn't wanna have to do this Harry, but you leave me little choice. Either you hand over the wand right now, or I'll head straight to the MInistry and tell them all about your plans to run off to Australia with my little sister! She'll be forced to watch as you're thrown through the Veil, and then she'll be shipped off to Azkaban for harboring a fugitive!"

Harry's eyes hardened. "Stop it Ron. You don't know what you're talking about. Listen to yourself for Merlin's sake! You're talking about killing your best friend and leaving your sister devastated, just so you can try to bring Hermione back from the dead!"

Ron's wand remained steadily trained on Harry's chest, even as tears began pouring from his eyes. "I have to, Harry," he whispered. "She means everything to me." Then without warning, a spell erupted from the tip of Ron's wand. Harry dodged out of the way and withdrew Malfoy's wand from his robes, firing off a disarming jinx at the crazed redhead. Years of DA training coupled with months spent in the Auror Academy made themselves known as Ron easily dodged the bolt of light and sent back one of his own. The two men traded spells back and forth, filling the night air with the ozone smell of clashing magic and grunts of exertion. As the red light of an _Expelliarmus_ headed his way, Harry threw up an invisible shield before flicking the wand high in the air as if the spell had connected. Ron traced the wand's path with his eyes and snatched it out of the air with a triumphant cry. The sound had barely left his lips when he was hit with disarming, petrifying, and binding spells in quick succession. As he lay looking up at the night sky wondering what happened, he suddenly found his vision filled by the dangerous glare of Harry Potter, with the Elder Wand held steadily between his eyes.

"You lied to me," Ron whispered. "You lied to me and you tricked me and now I'll never get her back!" Ron broke into choking sobs and began mumbling incoherently as Harry looked on, dumbfounded. As his wailing began to subside, Harry could begin making out bits and pieces of Ron's gibbering.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… tried everything I could, tried to bring you back… but I failed, I failed and it's my fault and I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry…" Harry scowled and bent so the two men were face to face.

"What do you mean by, 'it's your fault?' Did you have something to do with Hermione' death?"

Ron's eyes widened in fear and he began frantically shaking his head as much as the body-bind would allow. "No! No! It wasn't like that Harry, please! I never meant for it to happen, never in a million years would I have let it happen!" He began darting his eyes around like a trapped animal looking for an escape route. "I didn't know, I didn't know, how could I have known?"

Harry reached down and fisted his hands in Ron's robes to roughly jerk him off the ground. "What did you do, Ron? Tell me!"

Terrified blue locked with furious green, Ron explained. "After you were arrested, Hermione, she just went crazy! Spent all her time in the library trying to find a way to help you! I tried telling her that we were doing everything we could, but she wouldn't listen! Then… then one day, one day she just went off on me! Told me that it was over between us! I knew she hadn't been eating, hadn't been sleeping. I figured she'd come back around once she was feeling better, you know? But she never did. She just went on and on, like she was trying to kill herself or something. I… I couldn't let her keep doing that to herself, Harry. I couldn't just sit back and watch her waste away! It got so bad, she got so confused… I had to help her. I had to do something. So, I got hold of some love potion that had been confiscated in a raid and I gave her a dose. It was supposed to just be enough to bring her back to her senses and make her see reason, but something happened… She… started convulsing and flailing, and I knew if she didn't get help she'd be dead for sure! So, I dropped her at St. Mungo's and went home to wait for them to call and let me know she was there. But when the floo call came, it was for Ginny! Apparently she and my sister had been fooling around behind my back like a couple of filthy dykes! They even acted like they were in love! But then, the more I thought about it, the more it started making sense…"

Ron's eyes suddenly lost their focus as the adrenaline rush from the battle wore off. He started mumbling incoherently again until Harry slapped him across the face and jerked on his robes. "What started making sense, Ron?" He growled.

"Sense? Oh, right! Well, I overheard one of the healers telling another one that he thought there may have been two different potions in her system and that it was the combination of the two that made her sick. That's when I realized that my sister must've given her a potion to make her do all the sick things they were doing together! I mean, I know Hermione was never… y'know… _that way_, so it must've been a potion that did it! Of course I couldn't tell the healers anything or they'd wonder how I knew she'd been potioned in the first place. All I could do is sit back and watch my sister pretend to be concerned about her as she died. That should've been me, Harry! I should've been the one holding her hand and wiping her forehead as she started coughing up blood! It should've been me that cried and begged Merlin and Morgana not to take her from me, and it should've been me that she turned to when she took her last breath!" Ron's breathing came in ragged gasps as the madness crept back into his eyes. "But that can all change now, yes. Once you let me kill you, I can use the wand to summon the stone and then I'll be able to bring her back and put everything right again. Now, c'mon Harry, be a mate and cut me loose, and I promise it'll be quick and painless. You won't feel a thing, and then afterwards Hermione and I will go turn my sister in for using a love potion and everything will be alright again!" Harry simply stared in disbelief as he watched his best friend make his final descent into madness. As Ron continued to scream for Harry to release him, Harry gently lowered him back to the ground and took several steps away, looking off into the dark forest. With a heavy sigh, he flicked the Elder Wand toward the forest before turning around to levitate Ron until he was standing upright.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked. "Are you gonna cut me loose now?"

"No, Ron," Harry said, nimbly catching the Resurrection Stone as it flew from where he summoned it. "I'm gonna give you the chance to make things right with Hermione, and then I'm gonna decide what to do with you." He closed his eyes in concentration and turned the stone over three times in his hand. Ron's gasp and the faint light through his eyelids was all it took for him to know what he'd see when he opened them.

The ghostly form of Hermione Granger stood not five yards from where they were standing, wearing shimmering robes of white gossamer and a sad smile on her face. Both men had tears pouring from their eyes as the woman they loved appeared before them again, looking almost real enough to touch. She looked back and forth between the two of them before she stepped forward to greet them.

"Hermione," Ron whispered. "Is it really you?" The spectral girl nodded slowly before turning to approach Harry. She stopped a few inches from him, and it was all he could do not to throw his arms around her even though he knew she wasn't really there. Instead he just looked into her eyes, drinking up the love and warmth he saw radiating there. With a small smile, she turned and walked toward the bound redhead who instantly began struggling against Harry's magic when he saw her approach. Once again she stopped just inches from the boy, though her look carried much less warmth than the one she had for Harry.

"Hermione," Ron gasped. "Oh Merlin, it's really you." She nodded, and he barely stopped himself from breaking down again. "Hermione, I am so, so sorry… you have to believe me. I never wanted to hurt you, I just wanted you to be happy. I knew we could be happy together, not like with my sister and her… _freakishness._" Harry bristled at the mention of that hated word, and Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously, though Ron continued on without noticing either. "Now that you're here, with me, I know we can make things right. We just have to get Harry to give us the Elder Wand and we can be together, the way it's supposed to be. Won't that be great?" Ron's gaze traveled off into the distance. "We'll let Mum fix us the biggest wedding anyone's ever seen! Then we'll build a house on some land next to the Burrow, where we can raise our family and grow old together. We can even name our first son Harry, I mean it's only fitting that we do something to honor the one that brought us back together, don't you think? Hermione?" He had come back from his daydreaming to find Hermione looking back over her shoulder at Harry. "Oh good," he said. "You were always better at explaining things. Go on, you tell him."

Harry stared wide-eyed as Hermione told him what she wanted him to do without saying a word. He opened his mouth to ask her how but shut it abruptly when the knowledge of the spell seemed to pop into his mind from nowhere. As his mind's eye played out what was about to happen, his horrified eyes met Hermione's determined ones and he asked, "are you sure?"

"Of course I'm bloody sure, Harry! Now hurry up already!" Harry ignored Ron's incredulous outburst, his eyes firmly fixed on the ghost before him. Her eyes never left his as she gave one slow, determined nod, before turning back to face Ron again. Harry took several deep, steadying breaths and gripped the Elder Wand hard enough to whiten his knuckles as he slowly raised it to point through Hermione to Ron's heart. His jaw quivering, Harry spoke the spell Hermione had given him in a voice that he himself barely heard.

"_Resurrectionem._"

It was loud enough.

A ball of light the size of a quaffle floated gently out of his wand and into Hermione's back. As it collided with her she burst into wisps of smoke that seemed to melt into the ball of light as it moved forward and into Ron. Harry dropped to his knees with his hands over his ears as his best friend screamed in agony. Blinded by the tears pouring from his eyes, Harry didn't see the wisps of smoke begin to swirl and coalesce around the thrashing redhead like a phantasmal cocoon. His screams were abruptly cut off as the smoke fully engulfed him and flashed a dazzling white that left Harry temporarily blinded. As he struggled to blink the stars and tears from his eyes, he was startled by a warm feminine hand coming to rest on his cheek. When his eyesight finally cleared, he found himself on his knees looking up into the warm brown eyes and soft smile of Hermione Granger, wearing the same white garment but very much alive. He stared at her in disbelief for a few seconds before throwing his arms around her waist and sobbing into her stomach as she began running her hands through his hair.

"Shh, Harry, it's ok love," she cooed. "I'm sorry it had to be this way, but it's the only thing you could've done. His mind was already weakened by his injuries in the Department of Mysteries, and my death was what it took to break him. He would've killed you whether you helped him or not, and I couldn't let him do that to you, or to Ginny. " Her soft, hypnotic voice worked wonders to soothe Harry's horror at having killed his best friend, and as he calmed her words slowly penetrated the haze of grief he had become briefly lost in. Still sniffling, he released his hold on the girl and stood on shaky legs to look her in the eye.

"What do you mean?" he croaked. "Ron said Ginny was giving you potions too."

Hermione shook her head. "No love, he was wrong. Remember, he was delirious, not thinking straight. He took that potion from an illegal raid of a seedy potions dealer, then used it on me without checking it to make sure it wasn't harmful. The healers found traces of two potions in my system because the potion maker was careless and got his vials mixed up, not because Ginny was doping me with love potions." Harry nodded, suddenly angry with himself for having even considered the possibility for an instant. Hermione noticed his frustration and smiled tenderly. "We really were in love, both with each other and with you. I was so happy when the two of you got together, because I knew that I'd get to watch over you while I waited for you to join me." She giggled. "Now it looks like I don't have that long of a wait after all."

Harry looked into her eyes for a long moment before he cupped her face in his hands and brought their lips together in a gentle kiss. Hermione wasted no time in wrapping her arms around his neck as his own went firmly around her waist and held her close. After a few minutes spent gently exploring each other's mouths, the two lovers broke their kiss to gaze deeply into each other's eyes, savoring the touch that each thought they'd never feel again. Then, without moving from each other's arms, Harry and Hermione were gone, only the faintest pop signaling their disappearance.

-oOoOo-

"Why don't I wait for you out here?" Hermione said as she and Harry approached the door leading into the Burrow's kitchen. "It would probably be better for everyone if we didn't have to explain how I got here." Harry nodded and squeezed her hand before making his way up the garden path and, after knocking quietly to announce his presence, gently easing the door open.

He entered the warm kitchen to find Arthur, George, and Molly Weasley all seated around the kitchen table looking through the day's _Prophet_ while sipping glasses of pumpkin juice or tea while they read. George was the first one to notice that it wasn't Ron who had just stepped through the door, and he announced Harry's presence to the his parents with a quietly whispered, "Merlin's beard!" While Arthur merely looked up and gasped, Molly's reaction was considerably more pronounced as she screamed like a banshee and bolted to her feet, sending her chair clattering to the floor and the drink in her hand splashing all over the ceiling. She stared at Harry with her hand clutched over her heart, which is how Ginny found her when she came rushing into the kitchen with her wand at the ready. She followed her mother's panicked gaze to their nervous visitor, but her reaction to Harry standing there shocked the other three Weasleys more than his sudden appearance had.

"Harry!" She quickly stowed her wand and rushed to embrace him, throwing her arms around his neck and drawing him into a happy kiss that Harry couldn't help but to return. They might've stayed there for a few hours if Arthur hadn't cleared his throat to regain their attention. Ginny reluctantly broke the kiss before turning to face her curious family, tightly grasping Harry's hand in both of her own. Harry was relieved to see the amused twinkle in Arthur and George's eyes, but his anxiety returned when he noticed the stormy expression on the face of the Weasley Matriarch.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, George," Harry said with a nervous nod to each of them. "Sorry to drop in unannounced, but I've had an eventful couple of days recently and I've had to lay low." He cleared his throat nervously. "The basic story is that the Ministry mistakenly thinks that there's still a chance for Voldemort to return, so they've been ordered to gather up several artifacts that Voldemort used to keep himself alive so they can be disposed of permanently. Unfortunately, they think that my scar is one of these things, which is why I was arrested and ordered through the Veil. With the help of some… unexpected allies, I faked my death and have been spending the last few days preparing to leave Britain, probably forever."

"And I'm going with him," Ginny cut in decisively.

"That is," Harry continued quickly after seeing Molly's glare intensify by several degrees, "at least for a while. Ginny has been helping me deal with everything since I've been back, and she promised to help me get settled into my new life, wherever I wind up." Harry wasn't sure why he omitted his actual destination, but something about the look in Molly's eyes told him that the less she knew, the better.

"Are you sure about this, Princess?" Arthur's voice was quiet, but Harry could see that the man knew that Ginny wasn't planning on returning.

"Absolutely, Daddy," Ginny said. "He's been helping me too, and I'm not going to abandon him now." She shot Harry a look of pure devotion and love before turning to gauge the reactions of the two remaining Weasleys.

George just looked between them for a few moments before smiling softly and quietly leaving the room. Harry remembered Ginny telling him how he hadn't been the same since Fred died, and it was obvious from the way he carried himself that he was still dealing with his twin's death. Harry's heart ached at the thought of his reaction to Ron's fate, but before he could think too deeply on it his attention was drawn by the cold voice of Molly Weasley.

"No. Bloody. Way." Arthur and Ginny both gasped and turned to the fuming redhead, who continued before they could interrupt. "I absolutely forbid it. I'll not have any daughter of mine off traipsing around the world with a wanted fugitive! Is that really what you want for her, Harry? To be banished from her home, her family, never to return, all because you've filled her head with notions of 'healing her wounded knight' or some such rubbish?" Harry flinched back as if struck, and Molly turned her ire onto her fuming daughter. "I don't think so. You, young lady, will march right up to your room and stay there until I've had the aurors come and take him away. There must be some reason that he's been arrested and sentenced the way he has, and far be it from me to question the Ministry at a time like this! If Fudge were still around it would be one thing, but Minister Shacklebolt is one of the fairest Ministers that I've ever known, and there's no way he would throw someone in Azkaban without a bloody good reason!" Seeing that she had shocked the girl into silence, Molly turned back to a devastated Harry. "I'll give you until Ron gets home to say goodbye, but once he's here I'll have him take you to the Ministry and turn you over to the proper authorities." Her eyes softened slightly as she noticed the pain in his eyes. "I'm truly sorry, Harry, but this is the way it must be done. You can see that, can't you? Think about what it would do to Ginny, to drag her all over the world, spending the rest of your lives wondering when your past will catch up with you. That's no way to make a life together, and you know it. It'll be better for everyone if you just say goodbye now and step back so that she can grieve for you properly and move on with her life. Surely you can see that?"

Arthur shook his head in disbelief. "Molly, listen to yourself! The boy has been like a son to us for years, surely you could find it in yourself to at least li-"

"No, Arthur," she said forcefully. "As much as it pains me to do it, I have to do what's best for my children." Arthur opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by George bursting into the kitchen and rushing over to whisper furiously into Molly's ear while handing something that Harry couldn't quite see. Arthur quickly moved to help her into a chair as the color drained from her face and her knees buckled, all the while never taking her eyes from the object in her hand. She sat staring at it for several moments before she looked up at Harry with tears welling in her eyes. "What did you do?"

Harry frowned in confusion. "I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley, but I don't know what you mean."

Molly reached out and gently placed the hand from the Weasley family clock bearing Ron's picture in the center of the table. "This is what I mean, Harry. When he left earlier, Ron said he was going to see an old friend and ask him a favor. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now…" She nodded to the clock hand which pointed accusingly at Harry from between the salt and pepper shakers. "What happened?"

Harry's heart leapt to his throat as the events of a few hours ago came back to him in a rush. He fought to keep his voice from trembling as he answered the woman he had come to see as a second mother. "Ron somehow figured out that I hadn't really been killed in Azkaban. He figured out where I would go and waited for me there. When I got there, it seemed like everything was fine, at least until I tried to leave." Harry took a steadying breath and barely felt Ginny squeezing his hand in support. "He told me to hand over the my wand to him and I'd be free to go. When I refused, he attacked me and threatened to turn me and Ginny over to the aurors if I didn't give it to him. I… I couldn't let him do that to her. I tried everything I could to talk him down, but he wouldn't stop. I had no choice." Tears flowed from his eyes as he looked at the shocked and horrified faces around the room. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to fight him, but he didn't give me a choice. He was like a brother to me, and if it had just been me he was threatening it would've been different, but he was going to send Ginny to Azkaban for helping me." By now his eyes were locked with Ginny's, pleading with her to understand, to see his pain and regret. "I couldn't let him do that to you."

"I don't understand," Arthur said. "Why would he demand your wand, only to turn around and let you go? It doesn't make any sense."

As the implications of her father's question fully hit her, Ginny's eyes went wide as saucers. "Hermione." Harry nodded, and she threw her arms around his neck. "Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry Harry. I can't imagine how hard that must've been for you." Harry sobbed with quite relief at Ginny's forgiveness and acceptance, and he held her to himself as if his life depended on it.

"Hermione?" Arthur asked. "What does she have to do with anything?"

Ginny released her grip and stepped back to look Harry in the eyes. "Show them Harry." He nodded and withdrew the Elder Wand from his robes, eliciting three gasps of shocked recognition.

"That's Dumbledore's wand," Molly whispered.

Ginny turned and nodded to her. "Yes, it was, but Harry became its master when he defeated Voldemort. The reason Ron wanted it is because it's the actual Elder Wand, one of the Deathly Hallows from the story of the Three Brothers, and he thought it could bring her back from the dead."

Molly scoffed. "That's preposterous! There is no magic on earth that can bring someone back from the dead and leave them anywhere near who they once were. And besides, the Three Brothers are just stories, meant to lull children to sleep at night, nothing more."

"You're wrong." Everyone turned at the new voice, and all the Weasleys cried out in fear at the sight of Hermione Granger, who was supposed to be dead, standing very much alive in their kitchen doorway. It was less than a heartbeat before Ginny bolted across the room and threw herself into Hermione's arms, sobbing with joy and grief.

"Please really be here, oh Merlin, please really be here," she cried as she hugged the brunette with all her strength.

"Shh, love," Hermione cooed. "I'm really here, and I'm not leaving you or Harry ever again. It's alright, I'm not going anywhere." Ginny's sobs intensified at her words and she buried her face in Hermione's neck.

"He's telling the truth," Hermione spoke over the crying girl in her arms. "Ron was planning on killing Harry to become the master of the Hallows so he could bring me back. He was mad with grief and guilt at what he'd done, and thought that he could somehow make things right by destroying the two people I love more than life itself. I couldn't let that happen."

"What do you mean?" Arthur said, as Molly was too shocked to speak. "What did he do?"

Hermione's tone was flat, emotionless. "He dosed me with a love potion in a misguided attempt to get me out of what he saw as an unhealthy obsession with Harry, as well as an unnatural relationship with Ginny. When I collapsed due to the tainted potion he had fed me, he panicked and dropped me off at St. Mungo's, but it was too late. No matter how noble his intentions were, it was his mistake that cost me my life." Her eyes hardened. "So when the chance came for me to be reunited with the ones I love and have the life with them that was wrongfully taken from me, I took it. I helped Harry see that the only way for Ginny to be safe was for Ron to die. I gave him the spell that, when cast by the Master of Death, would use Ron's love for me as a conduit that allowed us to trade places. He would pay for killing me by returning me to life, at the cost of his own."

Silence settled over the kitchen of the Weasley family home as Hermione finished her explanation. Ginny's eyes were locked on Hermione's face, searching for the truth in her words. "Ron?" She whispered. "It was Ron?" Hermione nodded, and Ginny just clung to her even tighter than before as her tears began anew. Arthur and George both sat in stunned silence while Molly blubbered inconsolably into her hands.

Harry could only watch helplessly as the Weasley family crumbled before his eyes. He was drawn from his troubled thoughts by Hermione's soft voice. "Harry, we need to go. We don't have much time."

Harry nodded, staring at the Elder Wand still clutched in his hand. "I know, love. There's just one more thing to do before we leave." He looked over to the remnants of the family his actions had helped destroy tonight and fought back the fresh wave of tears that threatened to fall. None of them noticed as he raised his wand and pointed it in their direction, and they didn't so much as move a muscle when he spoke the quiet incantation: "_Obliviate."_

Molly's hands fell from her vacant eyes, eyes that matched her husband and son. Despite the tempest of emotion raging through his soul, Harry's voice was calm as he altered the memories of his remaining surrogate family. "After hearing of the death of Harry Potter, Ron and Ginny both decided that they could no longer remain in Britain, and left separately for other parts of the world. Though their decision hurt, you understand, and wish them both the best. As for Harry Potter," he continued, tears trailing down his cheeks, "remember that he loved you all very much, and know that he's in a much better place now, surrounded by people who love him. Remember that after all the troubles he faced in his life..." He paused to look over at at the two women he loved with all his heart.

"He's at peace."

Another wave of the Elder Wand had the three Weasleys sleeping soundly in their chairs with the room put back exactly where it was when Harry arrived. Another flick sent Ron's hand back to the family clock, with a _confundus_ charm to make it seem like he was permanently "traveling." Harry and the girls clung to each other as they made their way outside with Ginny's things. Once they cleared the Burrow's wards, Harry stopped and turned so he could look Ginny in the eye.

"I'm so sorry it came to that, Gin," he said as he cupped her face in his hands. "I wish with all my heart that things had gone differently. I can't imagine how much you must hate me right now."

Ginny shook her head vigorously. "No, Harry. No. I could never hate you. Yes, Ron's death hurts, and I imagine it'll truly hit me that he's gone later, but right now I can't get over the fact that you were able to bring Hermione back to us." She reached out her hands to Harry and Hermione, who clasped their remaining hands together, forming a circle. "We've all been through so much separately and have made it through. I know that together, we can get through anything."

Harry and Hermione smiled at their red-headed love. "I love you both so much," Harry said.

"And we love you," Hermione replied.

Ginny nodded. "Take us home, Harry."

Harry drew his two loves to himself with his left arm as his right raised the Elder Wand above their heads. Then, with a sudden burst of unimaginable power, they were gone, never to return. It would take them several years and many tearful nights, but the combined love of all three of them was finally able to heal the wounds that each one held deep in their hearts.

And eventually, the Master of Death and his loves found the peace they had craved their entire lives.


End file.
